I just got back from two days at the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture Council of Leaders meetings. I am currently the president of the Kings County Federation of Agriculture. All of the county presidents or representatives along with the commodity board representatives sit around the table to work towards moving the agricultural industry forward. I am usually quite frustrated by the time I get home because the challenges we have right now in this industry are so great. I do a lot of deep breathing, stretching and work hard to remain calm. This time I drank a lot of passion tea.
This was also the first time I think in the 26 weeks of our CSA together that I haven't been around on share day. That was a bit hard too.
Anyway - most of you who are reading this blog are in the grouping of people who care about what is happening with your food and I assume to some extent you are informed and concerned about the food system in general. Assuming where you are coming from, I feel rather safe in unloading a few things.
First off, I am not sure if you all know this or not, but I grew up on a farm. We have a medium sized farm here in Kings County - Noggins Corner Farm. Josh and I first purchased a farm 5 years ago that Josh farms in conjunction with the family farm. We are still very connected. But the Organic farm has been my focus and I am hoping to move more of our activity in this direction. Anyway - the reason I say this it that I feel like I can appreciate the large scale farmer issues along side the small scale farmer issues and have the benefit of really feeling the effects of both. (Benefit some years, not so much benefit others)
No matter which scale of farming we are talking things are tight. And I know that things are tight with many people in Nova Scotia. Right now is a very tight time.
First off - I think you should know that unless you have a free range connection or a small scale producer connection for turkey this year, you will NOT be able to find a Nova Scotia turkey anywhere for Christmas (maybe even Thanksgiving). AND most certainly nothing fresh. To my knowledge, and I have been known to be wrong, there are no more turkeys entering into turkey barns in this province unless there is an agreement with a processor outside the province. This is really serious.
Serious - very few pork farms remaining in this province. Beef farmers are continuously working to find ways to keep afloat. Vegetable farmers are dumping into their fields perfectly good produce. And we are not talking a few dozen like we harvest for the CSA, we are talking transport truck loads that go into our local grocery stores, if I can even call them local. Not to mention that when strawberry time was here the price for berries was good for a week but then they put some cheap imports on special and drove the price down.
You are all doing your part - you are making a serious effort to support yourselves in securing food that you know where it comes from and you are supporting our ability to carry on farming activity. Honestly, if it wasn't for this CSA we would not be able to get a return from the wholesale market that would cover our mortgage payments.
Here we are, a civilized nation and we have farms going out of business at an alarming rate. We have retailers that are having price wars, we have people who are starving, we have a consumer base that is wanting everything very cheap, including food, and we have a group of farmers, me included that is trying to sort out what to do and how to stay afloat throughout all this.
Somehow we need to get more people engaged in what they are eating. We need to have people demand local only at their grocery store. And, as all of you who are participating in the CSA know, that will require people to maybe sacrifice a few things. Like ease and variety. The other major issue is that we aren't asking people to pay more at the store for their products, we are asking that a more fair share of the amount you do pay gets back to the farm gate. (I should becareful when I say we - I am speaking only for myself here, making a few assumptions)
The Ecology Action Centre has been doing great work, they usually do :), on food miles. And on our consumption of food. Can you even believe that their stats show that we, Nova Scotians, of the food we eat, only 7.2% comes from this province. This is entirely unacceptable in terms of any sort of food security.
Here is where I ask you to help. Please - tell me, as a farmer, what should I do to bring change to this situation. What will people respond to? I read today in the paper that the farmers in Belgium are dumping millions of litres of milk. What do we need to do? Demonstrate? On the way home I was thinking as I stopped at the lights heading to the 102 near the Halifax shopping centre, what if people had signs walking that strip of grass, asking people where their supper tonight is coming from, would it make anyone think or do anything different.
I was talking with a friend about the turkey situation. With very rough calculating, if every household in this province purchased three turkeys in one year at a fair price to the farmers (which would be much less than the price in the grocery store these days) then the current production could carry on. The turkey situation is complicated, but it still comes down to retailers and consumers. Retailers have all the power these days because we as consumers are not taking the risks to make change.
So - there we have it. Add in an hour or two about biosolids and the environment and my two days at meetings are complete.
Sign off for tonight.
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First thing --- your passion and your ability to write factually and with deep feeling about farming in Nova Scotia is inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing in such an immediate and honest way. Leadership, energy and talents like yours are essential if we hope to see agriculture survive and thrive here in Nova Scotia.
I believe you are 100% right about how central a direct link between farm and consumer is to the overall solution. A very local relationship between consumers/farmers/small retailers is why the whole food miles campaign has such a hold on those of us concerned about the environment, food security and survival of the small family farm. Buying local is not a fad --- it’s a movement that isn't going away.
I love my Taproot CSA, where: the produce tastes phenomenal; I know "the growers"; I know what's organic and what's not; and where there is the promise of a greater volume of organic versus non-organic as fields already in transition will soon be yielding ever-healthier soils and food.
I love the meat I buy from the Canning Meat Shop. There a hind quarter of beef or a side of lamb comes along with information from Andrew about who raised the animals and how they were feed and it seems just too good to be true that I can also request the specific cuts I would like.
I love dropping into Foxhill for my weekly cheese and tubs of gelato and picking up my Marie and Guy breads.
I loved (past tense) the turkeys I could once buy from Mike Coyle in Delhaven. That was before something or other stomped out his small scale flocks and stopped the progress of his small scale poultry processing plant. (What the hell happened there anyway?)
If I could get a Nova Scotia turkey, humanely raised, every other month (6 a year) on a CSA plan --- I'd join in a flash. Just tell me where to sign up.
Taproot and Meadowbrook are ahead of the game. I'd love to see the Department of Agriculture support farmers in creating direct links with consumers in their immediate neighbourhood.
You and Josh, Jim Lamb and the Foxhill Rands are terrific examples of entrepreneurial farmers. Unfortunately, that spirit isn't present within all farm families. So the shift will not be so doable for all.
All this is to say that you are absolutely on the right track.
I no longer have any desire to buy my food from Sobeys or the Atlantic Superstore. As I learn more about how they deal with producers, especially small ones, my contempt for their tactics deepens. They seem to be players in the worst sense of the word. They play with our food security, pursue profits well beyond what they deserve and force farmers into practices that are not sustainable.
It would be interesting to know the number of farms that are operating on a scale sufficiently small that their products could be sold directly to those living within a short distance of their farm gates. New delivery and storage systems are needed.
Maybe we need the "big guys" to supply the larger urban markets, but isn't there a way to sidestep Sobeys and Atlantic Superstores. I don't care what they say --- they do not believe in supporting local food producers!
In Toronto, nearby friends I visit frequently, a lovely independent grocery store is operated by "Fiesta Farms." It is a treat to shop here where Ontario produce is THE order of the day.
Couldn't a similar thing be initiated for Nova Scotia through the Department of Agriculture?
Below is a write-up about Fiesta Farms taken from this website:
http://www.localfoodplus.ca/Fiesta.htm
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Patricia.
Love and hugs for all you do --- Pauline
Holy Moly, Patricia...where can I get some of that passion tea?! Thank you so much for the information. 7.2% is a scary number. I knew things were not great but I had no idea they were that bad. Better informed means better ability to make other choices.
ReplyDeleteInteresting piece and worthy of sending to some newspapers, I think - they'll probably consider it 'old news' but if a reporter were to pick up on it you might get some coverage and interest.
ReplyDeleteTwo comments: I think you're wrong that we would sacrifice variety if grocery stores bought more local produce - the book the 100 mile diet makes this point, and I would agree from my experience, that one actually gets *more* variety from the CSA box. I think you should promote/advertise this fact. (For example, I have never seen those green tomatoes - what are those, anyways? - in stores, and some stuff, like swiss chard, I have seen but would never have thought to try.)
Second, buying locally takes some effort and work, which not everyone has the time, connections or patience to do. There's a woman in Kitchener-Waterloo (where there are lots of small-scale Mennonite and non-Mennonite farmers) who made up a list of local products, then people order off the list every week, and she drives around and gets them. This makes it easier on the consumer (who doesn't have to drive to 5 different farms) and also better for the environment (because only one person is driving around). She takes a cut, but it's much smaller than the grocery store cut would be. This might be a model to follow in promoting local produce - someone who has lost his/her job recently might make a good business doing this.
Keep up the good work. I'm glad the CSA is sustaining you - it's sustaining us too!
Kathy
Oh goodness. I wish I had some intelligent suggestions to add here. All I can do is speak from personal experience.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely education and communication are the key. For those close to the issues, the information is there and top of mind. For most of us, living our day to day lives and not involved in the farming community, we live on in ignorance. I don't come from a farming background, nor do I live in an area where there are farms. I always just did my shopping at the Superstore from a convenience perspective. My parents live in the Valley so whenever I visited I always loaded up at Noggins and Foxhill, but this was not a reliable , regular source for me depending on my visits. Going to the Halifax market every Saturday was not a great option for our family with two babies and a long drive into the city.
When I first heard about Taproot from a neighbour, I was a little nervous to join. I was concerned that I would spend more as I would continue to purchase my regular produce along with what was received in the box. What a shift in my approach to shopping and cooking! It's been such a positive and the only produce I buy regularly every week outside of my box is bananas. I think a lot of people would feel this apprehension at first glance. As CSA members, one thing we can all do is spread the good word. I've been telling everyone about it and I'm happy to see some of my friends and family signing up as well.
The add ons have been working well for our family, particularly the meat and eggs. There isn't much on my grocery list these days - maybe some ketchup, bananas and dish soap.
Yes, communication is so important, and perhaps most important from the members. We should all be speaking out and letting people know about Taproot and how we make it work in our households.
Sadly, yes, people are selfish. They want convenience, they want cheap prices, they want watermelon in February.... I will just continue promoting Taproot and my other local sources for food (and other things) in hope that people listen.
Have a good weekend everyone!
jen
Thanks for unloading. You are truely inspiring!I am constantly trying to spread the word about eating local to friends and family.
ReplyDeleteThe movement is increasing and I think with further education the momentum will continue.
I haven't bought meat at a grocery store in 3 years. Through education and awareness change is possible.
Convenience is a priority for many consumers, which is why the one stop shop is the choice. Education about buying local is truely key and I feel the government really needs to step up here.
Thanks for the info, I will be passing it through my network.
I too wish I had some eloquent thing to add to your post Patricia. I try to post as honestly as I can here about how we've felt about the whole CSA experience since joining.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to be our "local" mouthpiece for lack of a better description. We need to be the sprouts coming off the roots spreading the word about OUR CSA farm. We need to be telling everyone we meet about eating local, supporting our Nova Scotia farmers and of course the organic piece never hurts.
I know in my family, as I've said before, even our children have taken "ownership" of our CSA. Patricia, you are referred to as "Our Farmer". Our children know that you are the person, along with your husband and family, who produces our food.
The pickles I made this year were consciously made from fresh Nova Scotia produce. The dills and other ingredients I didn't get from Patricia, were grown by her father or another NS farmer and purchased at Withrow's Farm Market in either Mount Uniacke or Elmsdale. I will drive that far to ensure I am supporting local because local doesn't exist where I live. I laughed yesterday at the grocery store when I saw the "eat close to home" sign beside the Ontario grown produce.
I refuse to buy produce that can be produced here, if it is not produced here, unless absolutely necessary. Garlic from China in the grocery store is just not good enough for my family.
We are transitioning with meat as I am in the process of emptying my freezer. I purchased a whole lamb late in the spring, which was free run/range from Windy View Farms.
I agree with you Jen, that since joining the CSA we've changed the way we eat, as well what we eat. My concentration now is that I plan and eat 100% of what is in that box each week and that it is enough to sustain our family. We have 7 people, 2 adults and 5 children, on a full share so sometimes it can be a little tight and we do have to supplement with store/market purchased produce.
Keep up the good work Patricia, in getting your voice heard as well as that of your fellow farmers. I will keep harping to people about the benefits of eating a locally grown diet and the whole CSA experience.
Elizabeth
Patricia, I wish I had answers for you - right now the best suggestion I can make is to keep talking - talking to us, talking to the gov't, talking to anyone who will listen. Talk long enough and at least something will sink in ... if you don't run out of breath first.
ReplyDeleteWe NEED food You HAVE to continue to exist b/c we literally can't live w/o you.
I talk about you (and food issues) *all the time* & know people who joined Taproot b/c of that - or tried to until your limit was reached. I have other friends who joined other CSAs in their area b/c I wouldn't shut up about it. :)
People have to understand what buying apples from Chile or strawberries in January mean to us all both from a food security as well environmental point of view.
Thanks for the stats - I did know about pork supply, I have friends who raise pork privately for themselves and a few friends - she told me almost all pork in Canada comes from the US & * CHINA *. Unbelivable.
I think earlier posters were right, the eat local movement is growing, we can only hope it grows fast enough to prevent too many more farmers from going out of business.
How do consumers make their wishes known? In the past, I would simply refuse to buy apples from Chili or most foreign fruit, or fruit out of season and simply went without. Not sure it made much difference to the grocery store, but it was what I believed.
Now, (at least for myself, roommates are another matter) I buy almost *nothing* edible from Sobeys or the Superstore. If it doesn't come from you, or Speerville Mills, or the Farmer's Market, I don't buy it. Yes, I'm supporting you, but the big chains don't know that.
I suppose I could write a letter to them, but I don't know how much they would try to win back my business - or care about supporting you. Maybe if enough of us did, though. :)
And my question is: do farmers really *want* to sell to grocery chains? How difficult would it be to keep up with such huge demands?
Would it not be better for each farmer to have a relationship with one or two independent shops and merely supply them? Which, I know, is so not the model of food shopping in Canada. :(
But bigger is NOT better. And I can't believe that one store can provide produce, meat, bread, toiletries, books (grr), movies, etc. all under one roof and do any of it really well.
There is more, but I'm not sure how to articulate it well.
On the plus side, I'm not sure how much extra work it is for you, but I, too, appreciate being able to order the extra add-ons of eggs & meat - thank you! (Although I'm eating much more and much better now b/c of you; I'm not sure my waistline appreciates it! :) )
Please keep us posted on these issues - we can't help or act intelligently if we don't know what's happening.
And eating only 7.2% of our local food is pretty dismal - NS is an incredibly rich environment & we can grow (or catch) almost anything here. :(
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteMy background is in PR and this seems like a lobbying issue. Making the end consumer responsible first is a long slow process. I have never been happier than with my CSA and I tell everyone I know and from what you say your CSA is sold out so your marketing worked.
The bigger challenge seems to be systemic change and for that you will need a lobbying campaign aimed at decision makers.
CBC radio would be keenly interested in your story I think. There is a Canadian magazine called this who just did some stuff on food activists and I think they would cover it as well.
Then you need petitions - online or otherwise targeted at superstore, dept of agriculuture and sobeys. At the moment with their ad campaigns I would have thought things were better so thanks for letting me know they are not.
The only other thing would be to try to influence large consumers like hotels and event planners etc to make buying local a priority rather than from sysco or large food wholesalers.
Hope these ideas help.
Colleen Ritchie